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Signs at the RioCan parking space near Kirkland\u2019s REM station, warning non-residents not to park in the parking space designated for Kirkland residents only. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews)<\/p>\nOn May 18, The REM officially opened its third branch, extending service to Montreal\u2019s West Island. But now, just weeks after the highly anticipated opening, issues over parking at the Kirkland station have begun to arise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll tell you what I experienced today \u2013 this parking situation is absolutely abysmal, okay, me and my friends here tried to get some parking because we\u2019re trying to be eco-friendly and take the REM, and there was no parking \u2013 guys, don\u2019t you just find that outrageous!\u201d said one Montrealer CityNews spoke to, before his friend added, \u201cI had to park all the way down there, somewhere and I don\u2019t want to walk all that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to residents, the problem stems at the Kirkland RioCan Centre, where 200 parking spots for REM users are reserved for Kirkland residents only, and the other thousands of parking spots are reserved for shoppers \u2013 leaving non-resident REM users with nowhere to park, without otherwise getting penalized.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t really park here if you\u2019re not a Kirkland resident, and if you do I believe you get like an $80 ticket or a $100 ticket, but it kind of doesn\u2019t make sense because where do you park if you want to take the REM,\u201d said one Montrealer.<\/p>\n
Signs at the RioCan parking space near Kirkland\u2019s REM station, warning non-residents not to park in the parking space designated for Kirkland residents only. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews)<\/p>\n
Another Montrealer said, \u201cThe first Saturday that the parking was opened, there was a parking agent that was watching everybody park their car and then walk to the REM and he would ticket them.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about the decision behind limiting parking to Kirkland residents, the mayor\u2019s office replied to CityNews in a statement, saying: <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Town of Kirkland took the initiative months in advance to secure parking for its residents when no parking was being offered by the REM at the Kirkland station. To do so, the Town negotiated an agreement with RioCan, the owner of the land, to make 200 spaces available for Kirkland residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sucks because people that live just nearby from Pierrefonds get tickets and it\u2019s just restricted,\u201d said one Montrealer.<\/p>\n
While another said, \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s the brightest thing to let just Kirkland residents park here because l\u2019Anse-a-l\u2019Orme is always full and then you have all these spots that are always open.\u201d<\/p>\n
REM representatives dispute the Kirkland mayor\u2019s office claims, telling CityNews that plans initially included 400\u2013500 parking spaces. However, they say city officials intervened amid concerns about nearby streets handling increased traffic, adding in a written statement: <\/p>\n
\u201cFor our Kirkland station, as for our entire network, we remain open to discussions and partnerships and continuously seek to improve access to our stations, whether by public transit, car or sustainable modes. For example, a recent agreement with the City of Montr\u00e9al will enable the development of bike paths connecting to our stations, and we have also announced the addition of 300 free parking spaces at the Fairview\u2013Pointe-Claire station.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Parking area at Kirkland\u2019s RioCan Centre, reserved for Kirkland residents, nearly empty during peak traffic and work hours on Monday June 1, 2026. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews)<\/p>\n
For now, REM officials say they\u2019ll continue to monitor usage of facilities and are open to making adjustments, as they did at the Fairview-Pointe-Claire station and by redesigning their bus networks since May 18, to facilitate access to the REM.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like they could probably keep the 200 spots and open it up to everybody, because currently right now I don\u2019t there\u2019s 200 Kirkland residents that are going to be parking here, especially if it\u2019s paid parking,\u201d said a Montrealer.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tA front view of Kirkland’s REM station on June 1, 2026, a few weeks after it’s grand opening on May 18, 2026. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews) <\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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